


Discursive

by cutsycat



Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [985]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-12 04:24:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12951234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/pseuds/cutsycat
Summary: Gibbs wakes Tony for breakfast and struggles with desire before they head out in search of an angel for the tree. Also some sad Tony backstory is revealed.





	Discursive

**Author's Note:**

> Another dictionary.com word of the day drabble. This time from 01/10/2002 for the word [discursive](http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2002/01/10/discursive).
> 
> discursive  
> Passing from one topic to another; ranging over a wide field; digressive; rambling.  
> Utilizing, marked by, or based on analytical reasoning -- contrasted with intuitive.
> 
> I'm doing a series based around the [Happy Holidays Challenge](https://ncis-discuss.livejournal.com/102520.html). I'm afraid it starts out angsty, but I promise it will have a happy ending.
> 
> This is for the [2017 Happy Holidays Challenge - Dec 8: Wonder](https://ncis-discuss.livejournal.com/109549.html) theme. 
> 
> As always comments, kudos, and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.

# 

Discursive

# 

Day 8: Wonder

Gibbs shook Tony awake once breakfast was ready. Tony yawned, but climbed off the couch and stumbled into the kitchen where breakfast awaited. They didn’t talk much at breakfast.

A grunt here, a grunt there was all that was heard. Grabby hands punctuated the silence instead of actual words for the object being requested. After they both finished their meals, Gibbs consumed way too much coffee with his, Tony headed to the shower to wake himself up the rest of the way.

Plus, he needed to get ready for their shopping trip to find the angel for this year’s Christmas tree. Gibbs definitely needed something to point Santa his way and hopefully help get rid of the grinch that had been stuck up Gibbs' butt for the past nine years or so. Meanwhile Gibbs busied himself in the basement with his boat, so that he wouldn’t be tempted to try to join Tony in the shower.

Actually, that’s a lie. He was already tempted, but he was trying to distract himself so that he wouldn’t actually join Tony in the shower. He had some great memories of showering in the morning with Tony before everything got all messed up.

He’d already taken a shower before finishing the omelets, so as to let Tony sleep some more once he realized that Tony had fallen back to sleep. Gibbs heaved a sigh of relief as he heard the shower turn off. At least, he wouldn’t be tempted by thoughts of a naked Tony anymore. 

Gibbs wandered back upstairs to wait for Tony. He hoped that this would be a fun trip for Tony. Maybe he’d even get some ideas for what to do for Tony for Christmas. 

The gift exchange didn’t really count as Tony’s Christmas present in Gibbs’ mind. He still needed to find Tony a suitable Christmas present. Perhaps more than one even. 

“You ready to go?” Gibbs asked as Tony exited the bathroom already dressed.

“Almost. I just need to grab my shoes and jacket.”

Gibbs nodded, gathering similar items himself and putting them on. Together, they walked out to Gibbs’ challenger. Gibbs drove to the mall.

Tony prattled on as they drove, now that he was awake, about a great many discursive subjects. A lot of the topics seemed to be related to Christmas, however. Gibbs would nod or interject that they should do one or another suggestion Tony made about Christmas related activities.

Arriving at the mall, Gibbs nodded to Tony. “Where to, first?” 

Tony looked around thoughtfully before marching towards a souvenir store. Gibbs followed and looked through what the store provided. There weren’t many angels and they headed onto the next store relatively quickly, though Gibbs did take note on how Tony’s eyes lingered on the cute little Christmas pianos. 

They struck out there too. More angels were available, but not really the ones that went on top of the tree. They went through store after store without any luck in finding a suitable angel. Gibbs did, however, discover a number of items that he could pick up for Tony.

Items he would never have expected. Tony’s eyes never once drifted to fancy electronics even when they were in stores that carried them. No, Tony’s eyes always lingered on some trinket that no one would think anything of.

Gibbs couldn’t help wondering if there was a story there, but even though he was trying to open himself up more to Tony, he didn’t feel he could ask. Plus, he didn’t want to spook Tony or reveal his ulterior motive for going to the mall.

The mall really wasn’t his idea of a fun time. Tony had even commented briefly about how prior to this he never would have imagined Gibbs setting foot in the mall. Gibbs had just shrugged and continued to let Tony pick the stores that they looked for angels in.

By the time they’d gone through all the stores Tony considered likely, Gibbs could tell that Tony was starting to get dejected about finding an angel. On the way out of the mall, Gibbs stopped at a coffee shop.

“What do you want?” Gibbs gestured to the menu.

Tony blinked in surprise, but after a brief look at the menu settled on some hot apple cider. Gibbs ordered his standard marine tar and they continued out of the mall. 

“Don’t worry. It can take a while to find the perfect angel.” Gibbs gruffly offered as they climbed into the car.

Tony said nothing. That really wasn’t what made him dejected. He’d been thinking about how much he missed spending time with Gibbs.

It had been a really long time since they’d just spent time as friends without any arguments and today had been a revelation of sorts of how much he missed that. Of course, missing something didn’t make the valid issues that had occurred go away. That’s why Tony had sunk lower and lower in spirits as the day progressed. 

He’d been trying not to let it show, but apparently Gibbs had seen it anyway. Tony stared out the window in silence while Gibbs drove to their next destination. This store looked more Gibbs pace as it was a small mom and pop type shop filled with lots of handmade Christmas decorations. 

Tony looked on in wonder at the beautiful Christmas decorations. He’d never really been one for decorating in all actuality. They’d decorated some when he was a kid, but it had usually been the servants and had always looked plastic to Tony. 

A show room with no life. He’d mistakenly thought that that’s how Christmas decorations were supposed to look, until college when the fraternity had decorated in beer kegs and random other things that had very little to do with Christmas except that they were on a tree. While he had fun helping his frat buddies decorate, it wasn’t really a tradition he wanted to carry on once he graduated college.

Plus, once he’d started working as a police officer, he’d usually volunteered to work the holidays. He knew a number of police officers that really seemed to get into the holiday spirit and he’d decided it was better for them to have the time off. It wasn’t like he had any holiday plans anyway. 

He’d participate in whatever holiday activities the office put on, but other than that he didn’t do much on Christmas. If he happened to have it off, which was rare, he’d pop in a Christmas movie or two. He could easily lose himself in the fantasy of a warm caring family getting what they deserve around Christmas even though he’d never experienced it himself.

After starting at NCIS, he’d gotten invited to a lot more personal Christmas celebrations, but he always declined. Even Abby hadn’t managed to get him to join her for Christmas and she tried every year. He’d seen the holiday decorations at the office and while they didn’t remind him of the show room with no life, they hadn’t been anything special either.

This store, though, everything in this store was special. Tony reverently picked up a beautifully sculpted tree. He’d had to touch it to confirm it wasn’t real. 

It looked so life like. Setting the tree down, he looked around and had to stop himself from picking up every ornament. If these were the kinds of ornaments people usually used, he could understand why someone would decorate. 

Gibbs had known that Tony’s childhood memories hadn’t been the happiest, but watching Tony’s eyes glow with wonder at all the ornaments just made him want to shake Senior. If Gibbs had thought it would make it better, he’d have bought every ornament in the store. The store owners could use it, Gibbs knew.

Still, he knew they’d have to come back here to get the actual Christmas ornaments for the tree at some point even if they didn’t find the angel they were looking for here. This store had actually been the store that Shannon and Kelly always saved for last because everything was handmade and unique. They’d had the best luck finding new angels here, every year.

Gibbs wasn’t in a hurry though. He was content to let Tony take a look around. Making note of anything that attracted Tony’s interest for a significant length of time, Gibbs followed along behind Tony as Tony explored the store, completely forgetting for the moment that they were there to find an angel topper for the tree.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I'm looking for a writing buddy. Full details are [here](https://cutsycat.livejournal.com/53610.html). It is friends locked, so you'll have to add me as a friend on lj before you can read it. 
> 
> Also, Drakonyashka has translated a couple of my works into Russian. [Tutelage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378780) and [Imbue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378840). Go support them.
> 
>  **Warning! Warning! 2017 ends in only a month! When 2017 ends, the 2017 prompt collection will close.** You have 50 prompts you can use for 2017. Use them up before they go away. Prompts are currently open. If you'd like to prompt me, please do so [here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCIS_Prompts_2017/profile). Note you have to be an ao3 member to do this. 
> 
> When 2018 starts, I will open a 2018 Prompt collection. In fact, I have already created the 2018 Prompt collection [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2018/profile), but sign ups are closed until 2018, so you won't be able to sign up and prompt me on this collection, yet. The 2017 prompts continue to remain over for you to prompt me with until the end of the year.
> 
> If you are not an ao3 member, you can prompt me [here](http://cutsycat.livejournal.com/50701.html). Please follow the same rules as are listed in the above link. However, because this is a handmade prompt form(that thinks it's a poll), it is considerably more limited than what ao3 provides, so please use the ao3 form if you're an ao3 member. Please note the name option is for a name that I can say this is for so that you know it's for you. Since this is for non ao3 members it won't be true gifts, but you will be mentioned in the notes.
> 
> Feel free to leave feedback here if you think something could be improved(either in the prompt process or the story itself).


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